The word fraternity is derived from the word fraternal. Wikipedia says: A fraternity (from the Latin frater: "brother") is a brotherhood, or a fraternal organization. In ancient times, fraternal – brother – meant 'kin' and in many societies it was understood in a gender neutral (male and/or female) fashion, that went well beyond immediate siblings.
All our features writers this month – yes, female and male – are members of a fraternity.
To learn more…
Read what CEO of power house 21st Mortgage Corporation, wrote on this topic in our exclusive A Cup of Coffee with…Tim Williams.
Then dive into DJ Pendleton's, TMHA's Executive Director, take on this in The Ties that Bind.
Each look at the idea of fraternity – unity amidst the self evident diversity – in manufactured housing. The link to each article is found below.
Also, don't miss our exclusive A Cup of Coffee with…Congressman Stephen Fincher, a co-sponsor of the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act – a.k.a. – HR 1779. Read carefully the Congressman's thoughts on a theme very related to the above.
All for One, One for All
Competitors, yes, but members of the Fraternity First
For many years now, I thought it was pretty short sighted when someone put down a competitor in an intentional, public (and obvious) way. There is more that ought to bind us together than divides us.
Let's get HR 1779 done, let's grow our industry! There is time to 'compete' in the noble ways that speaks of fraternal ties that bind.
That is how we get the rising tide to raise all boats!
Raising All Boats
Speaking of the Image campaign that will raise 'all boats' involved, you can get an update on the strategy and who's cheering here, and some new articles that will showcase that strategy…
http://ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com/model-homes-for-factory-home-builders/
http://ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com/maricopa-county-summer-home-and-garden-show/
…plus our new Featured Home for the week on the top right photo slider!
Happy 4th of July!
Last year, at the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association's annual meeting, we all sang a round of “God Bless America” to honor the vets in the room. If we were together, we'd sing that for our nation and for all across this grand land.
All of our fine Featured Writers
We have our normal 'all star line up' of experts who penned 17 new articles here in:
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communities,
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finance,
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a column by New York Housing's Nancy Geer and her members grass roots policy efforts,
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marketing,
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sales,
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management,
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a new 'grass roots' featured industry member submitted by Arizona Housing Association's Ken Anderson,
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general industry topics,
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inspirational,
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our exclusive, red hot A Cup of Coffee with…interviews
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and much more!
Plus all our exclusive blogs, MHI and MHARR news modules and the industry's first and still only Daily Business News you look to routinely to keep you connected.
#1. Who says? You and Your Peers do 190,000 Plus Times Monthly!
Who says we have the best line up? You and your peers do! We are truly appreciative of all the readers, sponsors, writers and team members who make this possible for us to bring to you.
You vote with your web browser as part of the ever growing, ever record setting numbers of routine visits and 1,538,232 pages read. This is far and away more readers and pages than all other national platforms in our industry combined. Thank you and all who make this possible!
That makes YOU part of 'this fraternity' made up of industry pros hungry to learn, earn, know and grow.
195,219 visits in the 30 days of June, from professionals, investors, politicos and leaders like YOU. That's about 16x the number who 'subscribe' to the next closest national MH platform.
Our strong line up is THE reason why we keep setting records, and if you are new to us, then go to this link so you can access all of our FREE features at a glance.
So our 'fraternity' is already binding tens of thousands of you together here daily.
Now, let's pull together on those critical issues and 'get it done' through the grass roots efforts and business building activities you will see showcased here in July.
With no further adieu, please dive right into the manufactured housing industry's premier line up of writers, experts and exclusive interviews.
Featured Articles
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 4, No. 10, 2013
Alphabetically by Category
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
• Promoting Your Community “Together Everyone Accomplishes More . . .”
by Chrissy Jackson
Retailers . . .(WoW!) In some areas of the country, there is little or no local retailer base, or the retailer(s) are not 'into' selling homes into a manufactured home community.
FINANCING
• “Buy-For” Loans for Manufactured Homes: Still in Big Demand
by Dave Shanklin
“I need to buy a manufactured home for my mother. I want to go on the loan, even though I won’t be living in the house. Can you help me?”
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
• Grass Roots Featured Leadership – Shane Wilson, NW Chapter President, AHA
by Ken Anderson
Shane Willson is the owner of Copperstate Services and manager of Prestige Homes, Inc. in Kingman, AZ. He is currently serving as President of the AHA Northwest Chapter.
• A Cup of Coffee with…Congressman Stephen Fincher
• Manufactured Housing's 2013 'Home on the Hill'
by Nancy Geer
Manufactured homes can be traced back to 1764 when a two story panelized home was shipped from London, England to Cape Ann, Massachusetts. In the 1870’s, homes were built by hand and driven by horses to the outer banks of North Carolina.
• Visitability Issue and Manufactured Housing
by Nadeen Green, JD
Those who choose to read my articles or posts (or who stumble upon them) will soon realize that I have a focus on all issues related to Fair Housing. In fact, that has led to the sobriquet of "Fair Housing Lady."
• Sleeping with the Enemy?
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
The subject today is having a Better Working Relationship with Non-Profits. For some commentators and other thinkers in our industry, this topic will be seen as akin to “sleeping with the enemy.” But few things could be farther from the truth, as I plan to demonstrate below.
• Caitlin goes Home Show'n
by Caitlin Nauert
February and March were busy months in the manufactured housing industry event world. TMHA had a presence at both the Louisville Manufactured House Show and the Tunica Manufactured House Show. Each show had great attendance and an excellent set up of homes and vendors.
• The Ties the Bind
by D. J. Pendleton
Unity. A seemingly simple concept and yet limitlessly complex in reality. Can everyone ever agree on anything? It seems an impossibility to ever answer that question with a yes. And yet it remains undeniable, unity is significantly stronger than the alternative.
• A Cup of Coffee with…Tim Williams
1) Who, What and Where: (Your name and your formal title at 21st Mortgage).
Tim Williams, CEO and President, 21st Mortgage Corporation.
• Developing Strategies Using Porter’s Five Forces Model
Porter’s Five Forces model identifies competitive forces and underlying causes that reveal the roots of an industry’s current profitability while providing a framework for anticipating and influencing competition over time (Porter, 2008).
MANAGEMENT
• The benefits of a slow economy
by Tim Connor
There are two attitudes you can take as a manager, executive or business owner when the economy slows or goes in the tank – you can:
• Look Back but Think Forward!
by Scott Stroud
We are well into a housing recovery and you have a decision to make: Will you take what you’re handed by the market or the economy, or will you make the remainder of this year what you want it to be?
MARKETING
• Time to clean up your website!
by Beth Monicatti Blank
When was the last time you looked at your website? Not just a quick glance to make sure it’s still there, but really looked at it. Take some time to read through each page and look for anything out of date or not functioning properly.
• Manufactured Industry Pros Respond to the new MH Image Campaign Movement
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
Manufactured housing's image issue's didn't start – nor will they end – overnight. But the need for such a campaign is widely believed to be important
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION
• ZigOn Pursuing Dreams
by Zig Ziglar
"Think about the following story while you consider what success means to you. As two brothers entered their adult life, one completed college and became a highly successful lawyer while the other preferred the outdoors and traveled the country working as a park ranger, outdoor tour guide, seasonal crop worker, etc.
SALES
• Don’t practice on your best prospects
by Tim Connor, CSP
How much time do you spend practicing and developing your skills as a factory built housing professional? Do you practice a new technique on a prospect or on a fellow salesperson or your supervisor first? Do you not practice at all, but just show up?